top of page
SCROLL DOWN

FOOD  AG  IDEAS WEEK

|

|


The first Food | Ag | Ideas Week (FAI) was 5 days of individually ticketed panel and speaker sessions, structured networking and meet + eat networking lunches, and signature events led by Grow North and its partners to drive visibility, connectivity, and engagement in Minnesota's entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem.  

​

Our events were attended by well over 1000 participants and designed to make connections: we featured over 100 entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 business leaders, growers, innovators, investors, nonprofit and for-profit thought-leaders from across food and agriculture to discuss leading topics across sustainable agriculture, food innovation and tech, and food and society.

.

COMMUNITIES AND LEADERS COMING TOGETHER

The Week is led by Grow North and its programmatic partners AURI, Maker to Market Accelerator, Techstars Farm to Fork, The Good Acre, The Bell Museum, and MPR's Call to Mind.

 

It is made by possible by its support partners General Mills, Schwan's, Lazard, Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Knight Foundation, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Canadian Consulate General of  Minneapolis, Compeer Financial, Lakewinds Food Co-Op, City of St. Paul, FINNEGANS Brew Co, and more. 

​

Food | Ag | Ideas Week showcases the power of diverse perspectives coming together to create something new. To see our full list of partners click here.

​

Thank you to the Bush Foundation, Knight Foundation,
and the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship to enable us to offer scholarships 

​

Event Highlights

  • Disrupting the Food Value Chain with Techstars Farm to Fork

  • Re-Imagining School Nutrition

  • Farm Tech Experience event with Land O' Lakes​

  • The NICK incubator Kitchen Summit

  • Nexus of Food & Health

​

  • Fireside chat with Jeff Harmening, CEO and Chairman of General Mills and Kerri Miller, MPR News

  • Hemp, MN and Creating a New Industry

  • Continued Rise of Small Food Brands

  • Crash the Networks Happy Hour

​​

​

​

SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS

10/9 Craft Brewing, Community Building and Agriculture Innovation
2:30-4:00pm Guthrie Theater

Speakers: Derrick Taylor, Co-Founder, Lake & Legends, Joseph Wells, Fair State Brewing, Sarah Bonvallet, Owner & Creative Director, Dangerous Man, and Ryan Mihm, Head Brewer, FINNEGANS Brew Co.

​

Moderated by: Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director, MN Craft Brewers Guild

​​

​

​

JEFF HARMENING

CEO and Chairman,

General Mills

ANGIE BASTIAN

Founder,

Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP

PATRICK CHRISTIE

Founder,

Conservis

ERIC RYAN

CEO, OLLY PBC

co-founder, method

RACHAEL VEGAS

Chief Merchant,

Brandless